Improvement in bridges



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FREEDOM MONROE, OF BRUCE, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 54,004, dated April 17, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREEDOM MONROE, of the town of Bruce, in the county of Macomb and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bridges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through a railroad-bridge, and Fig. 2 a vertical section through the same, with myimprovement applied thereto.

My invention consists in protectingthe main timbers ot' the bridge from wet and dirt from above, to preserve them from decay.

The following description will enable anyone skilled in the art ot' bridgebuilding to practice my invention.

In the annexed drawings, similar letters of reference represent corresponding parts of the different figures.

Referring to the drawings L L represent the posts of the bridge, which are united by crossties I in the ordinary manner. A A A Al represent the abutment and cross-beams, and C O C the stringers. Ihese separate timbers I cover with rooting-strips, marked B B B" B and D D D, respectively. These roofing-strips are made wide enough to lap well over the main timbers, and are grooved out on the under side tO throw the Water clear ott the timbers they are intended to cover; and the said strips are cut away on the upper side, so as to present a comparatively small surface to the timbers they are intended to support, and instead of being laid immediately upon the timbers they are intended to protect they are slightly elevated by the introduction between them and the beams, stringers, &c.,of thin cleats, E E E, &c., which are set diagonally across the timbers and under the rooting-strips.

To protect all of the timbers and keep the water from dripping ott of the roofing-strips into the cross-tie joints and braces, I arrange diagonal water-tables N N under the eaves of the strips at B B', and carry them down to the rooting-strip H, over the cross-tie I, which, being made and arranged the same as the other strips, throw the Water clear of the timbers composing that part of the bridge.

To protect the ends ofthe cross-ties A Al A A, the diagonal tables F Fare applied thereto in the same manner that the pieces N N are applied, but they are held from direct contact with the ends of the timbers by the introduction ot' diagonal cleats.

To protect the outside of the abutment-beams from the damp in the ground a shield is applied thereto in the same manner that the rootingstrips are applied to the main timbers, as shown by Gr.

From what I have above written it will be seen that my improvement in bridges is conined to rooting and protecting the main timbers thereof, Without regard to the manner in which the bridge is constructed.

What I claim,therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Protecting the main timbers of the bridge from the eti'ects ot' the Weather by combining the rooting-pieces B B B" B, D D D, F F, N N', and H with them, respectively, substantially as shown and described.

FREEDOM MONROE.

Witnesses:

J. D. HANsoOM, E. F. MEAD. 

